In multi-user operating systems, for example UNIX, HP-UX9.01, SUNOS, Domain-OS10.4, one or more files have to be processed each time a user logs in at a computer, in order to undertake settings at the computer and/or its operating system which optimally configure the way in which a user continues to operate with his user program or to optimally configure the utility of the user program.
Each user program therefore needs specific settings of the computer, which are specified in said files, for the purpose of optimal utilization.
At present, these specific settings are realized by the following mechanism:
In the personal set-up file in the computer of a user of the user program "Mentor" there is, for example, the following entry:
XX PA0 source/setup/mentor/cshrc PA0 XX
The effect of the above entry is that, for example, the search path is extended, variables for license files are set, as are further environment variables which control the further behavior of the user program "Mentor".
The directory structure of "/setup" in a user computer corresponds approximately to the following illustration: ##STR1##
In the case of said set-up mechanism, all the set-up files must always be present locally on each user computer, in order to ensure reliable functioning and/or optimum setting of the user programs. If it is then necessary to perform changes to the set-up files (if for example an update of a user program is to be fed in and this update requires new settings or changed settings), then these changes must be performed on all the computers.
Carrying out these changes has hitherto been performed by calling up the set-up files and copying them by hand. However, this means that there is a considerable administrative effort, in particular in the case of large networks and many users or user programs.